Patients need more than a spoonful of sugar

Patients need more than a spoonful of
sugar to help the medicine go down

Given that half of
patients with long-term conditions have been found by the
World Health Organisation to incorrectly take their
essential medication; doctors are being encouraged to seek
patient buy-in during the treatment decision making process.

Prior to the annual Medicines New Zealand Conference last
week Kevin Sheehy stated in a TV3 News interview that the
“non-adherence epidemic” is a serious issue, where two
in five patients with chronic illnesses will stop taking
their treatment after one year.

“There are major
benefits in medicines preventing conditions like stroke or
heart attacks and if you use your treatment properly your
chances of reducing those are substantial, whereas if you
don’t use your medicines - you are still at risk” said
Mr Sheehy.

Non-adherence to treatment is not only a burden
to patient health; it also significantly contributes to
wastages in healthcare spending and resources.

Mr Sheehy
explains, “Globally, it has been estimated that about 8%
of the health budget could be saved if medicines were used
correctly, and that is approximately the total annual budget
of Pharmac, New Zealand’s drug funding
agency.”

Experts in the field of health psychology have
discovered proven ways to assist healthcare professionals to
improve their patients’ adherence to treatment, optimise
health outcomes and make lasting lifestyle changes.

“In order to
improve adherence to medication we first need to understand
why patients stop taking their treatment correctly.
Although some people simply forget, research shows us that
in the majority of cases non-adherence is related to how
patients perceive their condition and treatment,” says Dr
Perry.

“For example, if a patient believes their
condition will only last a short time, they will be less
likely to take their treatment in the long-term. Similarly,
patients living with largely asymptomatic conditions, like
hypertension, may not see the need for treatment as they are
not experiencing symptoms day-to-day.”

Dr Perry
elaborates, “Patients may also be worried about
side-effects or may have concerns about medicines being
unnatural or artificial in some way, and could benefit from
a better understanding of how their treatment
works.”

“This highlights the importance of talking to
patients about their condition and treatment; through having
these conversations, doctors and other healthcare
professionals can work alongside their patients to improve
medication adherence” says Dr Perry.

Dr Kate Perry is a
key member of Atlantis Healthcare’s world-leading health
psychology team, which is headed by Professor Keith Petrie
from the University of Auckland and Professor John Weinman
from King’s College in London.

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